Average Joe Olympics

You know, for 2 solid weeks we were inspired by the world's greatest athletes, showing us what they have endured and trained for, to represent their countries with finesse and grace. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't impressed. So many inspiring stories of endurance and sticking to a goal.

But, what about us "average" people? Couldn't we have some sort of Olympics? I would LOVE to be on the Olympic Scrabble team, or even the Olympic Spaghetti making team. I know a few people who could kick some serious butt on the Olympic Sleeping team! Oooooooh -- even better, the Olympic snoring team . . . I've got a gold medal candidate at my house!!

Of course, the OBVIOUS Olympic Scrapbooking team . . . I would SOOOOOOOOOOO be working out and practicing for that one!

The best part of all this Olympic stuff, is that we may not be able to lift 350 lbs or do a pole vault, or win 8 swimming events, but we can all be inspired to do the best at whatever we do, because we have witnessed people giving their all for their country and their personal best.

Oh, one event that would HAVE to be included in the "Average Joe" Olympics . . . the Stupid Reporter Questions team . . . For example, the guy who asked the American runner who had just been disqualified, "How do you feel?" Uh, how about YOU should feel lucky that this guy doesn't bust you in the nose, right now???? "I've been training for this moment for years, working my butt off for the past 6 months, already done a bit of a victory dance on the field, and YOU wanna know how I feel????" Ya, that kind of question does NOT requiring extensive training!!

Anyway, this may seem like its a random, disjointed post, but I just want to go on, with the inspiration that the Olympic games were, and be my best "average joe" self. I hope that we can all be the greatest us possible! ♥

Bitter sweet victory!!

Bitter for me, sweet for Misty May-Traenor, Kerri Walsh AND me! I said it, didn't I, that the Olympics would mean lots of sitting around doing nothing else, time, for me?? Well, who decided that we should be FORCED ( ha ha ha ) to watch these games until 11 pm at night???

I have really enjoyed watching these 2 amazing women conquer the Beach Volleyball scene, in Beijing. As I was rejoicing for them at the top of my lungs, in my little living room, last night, I DID, for one milli-second, think, "Oh, the neighbors may be asleep!" Then I just kept my mouth quiet and clapped, and shed a few tears of joy for them.

The Olympian athletes are truly inspirational and great examples of setting goals and sticking to the task until the goal is accomplished. Obviously I am a team USA fan, but I am inspired by all of them.

I will just be glad to get some more sleep, when it is all said and done!

Happy 30th Birthday, Little Brother!

Today is Jeremy's 30th Birthday! He will be so happy to know that his family has compiled 30 years worth of memories to be listed here on my blog, for all the world to see!

Here goes, Jeremy, 30 memories . . . one for each year! :)

1. Mooney man . . . that's all I'm saying!
2. Thank goodness your male pattern baldness didn't affect you after age 5!
3. C'mon Jerm, I'll be your best buddy!
4. We're glad that you came out of your closet, er, bedroom!
5. You're NOT He Man, and you don't have the power of GrayScore . . .
6. Everybody really DOES love the song "Shut Up"!
7. What did you ever do with your "talk to me" toys?
8. Please do your Jimmy Stewart imitation, with Jim Carrey flair!
9. Hey, you turned out pretty good, considering you had 5 mothers!
10. CPA!!!!!
11. We're all thankful that you FINALLY learned the difference between the accelerator and the brake pedal, in Kaelene's car!
12. Will you please make me a balloon giraffe? I'll give you a dollar!
13. What were you doing, in the combat room, of Bart's Navy ship, when you disappeared for hours, on the dependants' cruise?
14. You, Adam and the rubber chicken . . . what traveling companions you 3 made!
15. Remember when you broke one of mom's china dolls, and you hid in a drawer? You fell asleep and we couldn't find you for a long time!
16. How much money DID you make, charging people to rub your head after a new buzz haircut?
17. Hey, I've got a GREAT idea for a Sharpie T-shirt design!
18. You and your "soda of apostasy"
19. Some of the nicknames you've had over the last 30 years: Hair-a-mius, Squid, Boy, Squaremy Jade, J W, Germy, Butthead, Dork . . .
20. Remember when you really saw your Mommy kissing Santa Claus?
21. Nobody is bitter (anymore) that you were always too young to go on the paper route!
22. Now you know what Dad meant when he said "We have kids instead of a boat!"
23. She's Clump, she's Clump. . .
24. Boys are pigs and girls are queens.
25. Love that PLAID shirt . . . why don't we burn it instead of fighting over it??
26. George Clinton, King of Funk
27. KOOL FM
28. Trying to beat Megan and DeAwna to the truck, for a quick run to 7-11, and running into the screen door!
29. Surely by now you are over the fact that the only baby picture in captivity of you is with your best friend, Richie. Who cares that you weren't wearing any shoes?
and, last but not least . . .
30. Run, Run away . . . tuf, tuf, tuf!

Sure love ya, little brother! Oh, and on this the 15th anniversary of your 15th birthday, you can let go of the obnoxious little brother routine, okay??

Olympic Commentary . . . out of the mouths of babes

Okay, I LOVE watching the Olympic games! I'm afraid that I won't accomplish much, at home, over the next 2 weeks, because it is so interesting to be planted in front of the TV, watching the events, and learning fascinating things about China and about individual athletes. Too cool! And those opening ceremonies . . . I believe that I now know what $300 million dollars looks like! Amazing!!

My brother, Jeremy, doesn't usually watch TV on Sunday, and his kids know that rule. But, the Olympics are apparently worthy of an exception! Jeremy and Diane have been doing a great job of explaining different things to their kids.

Last night, Wyatt was asking us, "Is this the medal round? Or are they still in the semi-finals?"
Then, he said, "We were watching swimming, and I really enjoyed it!" (What six year old talks like that???:)

Then, Olivia was telling us about "water pillow". She said, "We were watching them play water pillow, and Daddy thought that they couldn't stand up in the water! But, it is only 3 feet deep . . . I can jump in where it's 3 feet!!"

When asked, "Olivia, are you talking about "Water Polo"?" She said, "Ya, water pillow!" She then said that she didn't want to say "Polo"! Too cute! One day she will look back at this memory and laugh, too.

Oh -- here's a wave to Matt in Colorado! ;)

Back in the Scrappin' Saddle . . . Week 2

These are some of the scrappy pages that I have been working on, over the last week and a half! It feels good to just GO! Once you get all the tools out and feel the creative juices flowin' in your brain . . . there's NO stopping! Unless of course, you feel like you're going blind, because you are so tired, and the glue dots are not keeping your eyelids up any longer! LOL (Just kidding, I haven't really tried that trick!!)
I will say that the layout with the stripey paper, at the bottom, was a fabulous Angie Dunn layout from one of her classes . . . better late than never, right Ang??
Ah, therapy at its finest!! I have to say that I feel almost euphoric about scrapbooking, sometimes! It is a beautiful stress reliever for me!
And, not to mention that there are lots of cute kiddoes in my life to be the subjects of my work!
Love you guys!

OOOOOH - Michelle! The "Redneck Girls" layout is the one that the lady at SBE "lifted" from me! Too cool!

TAG! I'm it!

Lookie, lookie, another blog tag! (Ya, gotta say, I like these!!)

Joys-
1. Life with Jorge
2. Unlimited scrapbook time/money
3. Being a member of the church.

Fears-
1. My family not knowing how much I love them
2. Snakes!
3. Never organizing all my photos and journals into a legible and logical personal history, before I pass on

Goals-
1. Exercise every day
2. Become a mom
3. Be passionate about my occupation (or finding one that I can be passionate about!!)

Current obsessions-
1. Reading time -- just can't get enough!!
2. Keeping up on photos
3. rooting and voting for Shanna and her run for Paper Creations Idol contest

Random things about me-
1. I've never broken a bone
2. I need a vacation on the beach . . .
3. I LOVE cheese crackers with peanut butter! I even had a 2 minute conversation about them, the other day, with the clerk at Circle K! (Is that random or BOOOOOORING???)

Okay, anybody who wants to be tagged . . . . go for it!!! ♥

Where's the SLOW MOTION button?????

August, and the 6th already!! Everybody has kids going back to school and winding down the summer.

I just feel like, "could we put this all on pause for a minute?" The last month has FLOWN by, with little blog input from me, because I have been so busy and feeling so frazzled . . .
I miss:
- scrapping with my buddies, and 3 of them live too far away to even drop by and say "hi"

- hanging out with Michelle's girls, while the rest of the family goes to a baseball game! Oh, and Happy Birthday, Sarah!! Big 5 -- woo hoo!

- nieces and nephews who were all little and cute and LOVED hanging out with me. Now most of them are too old and too cool to just hang out with family; they got places to go and people to text, er, see.

- reading time . . . I haven't even had time to think about "Breaking Dawn", much less read it!!

- living a life that was free of monitoring by a specific government agency, that shall remain nameless. A thankless job for them, I am sure . . . and now I understand better, why!!

- my sisters! 2 of them live too far away, and the other is too dang busy! Call me sometime, dang it!!

- eternal optimism -- I had that "problem" once, but can't seem to remember where I left it!

- I know that I already said scrapping, but I really miss the therapuetic benefits of scrapping. It may stress some people out,(my mother, especially!), but I LOVE it, and the calming effect it has on my soul!

- Tina -- would you please come home for more than 5 minutes, so we can talk and hang out?? Summertime is "Tina out of town" time - and that is hard for me!

- Disneyland -- I haven't been there for almost 5 years! I'm having serious withdrawals here!

Okay, I hope I'm not bumming anybody out, here! Actually,"venting" like this really helps! Thanks for being there for me!

Oh, and have a GREAT day!